Mold Inspections and Sampling

707.245.7545 (cell) or 707.987.9970 (office)

Let me first tell you a personal story. For eight years we had a home overlooking a lake. I was plagued with sinus issues. I had Excedrin Sinus bottles in the medicine cabinets, the kitchen counter, and the kitchen table. Had various practicioners try to relieve my "discomfort." The day we moved out and my workers removed all the clothes out of my closet I discovered the walls covered in mold. Fast foward: Four years later living in a mold free house, I no longer have sinus problems.

Whether you are purchasing a new home or are trying to spot a problem in your existing home, mold can easily go undetected. With the proper education and checklist, you will be able to identify mold and take the necessary actions to remove it. Mold can be dangerous to your health because it releases chemicals and spores. It also can cause structural damage to your home by staining walls and rotting wood.

Moisture

Molds need moisture to develop and grow. When searching for mold, make sure to look in areas that have had moisture problems at some time. If water damage was not cleaned up and dried soon after the leak, there is a chance that mold had time to develop and grow. Areas around leaking pipes, water damage spots, gaps around windows or poorly insulated attics could all be places for mold to grow. If you have roof leaks, this can cause mold to grow behind walls where it can't be seen.

Air Tests

If you are concerned about mold growing behind your walls, you can hire a professional to perform an air test within the wall to determine if there is mold. This saves you from having to cut a hole in your wall to physically check if mold is there. If you are worried that the general air quality in your home has been compromised by mold growth, you can have the whole home air tested for mold spores. However, this air test will not be able to tell you where the mold is growing in your home .

If any area of the residence is suspected of having fungal growth, we suggest to carry out either aLimited Mold Sampling or a Mold Screen Inspection (with collection of at least 3 samples), to determine if there is a problem and to identify the types of mold present.

Samplings include air, tape, swab, wall cavity, or bulk sampling. Such sampling are done in accordance with the Environmental Solutions Association (ESA) protocols and requires proper handling and documentation of samples. Analysis is done by an independent environmental microbiology laboratory, accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).

Limited Mold Assessment & Sampling

Visual Inspection of accessible areas, defined by the client.

Collection of one or more samples in client-defined areas using air, swab or carpet sampling.

Analysis of samples by a specialized laboratory (accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association - AIHA - for Environmental Microbiology).

Laboratory Summary Report identifying if any "unusual" mold conditions exist in the sample locations only, at the time they were collected.

Laboratory Report detailing the presence and type(s) of mold, if any, found in the samples.

Full Mold Assessment & Sampling

Visual Inspection of readily accessible areas of the entire property or areas of special concern (client defined).

Collection of minimum of 3 samples in multiple "red flag" areas of the residence.

"Red flag" areas show visible mold or conditions that could lead to microbial growth. Appropriate samples include: swab samples of each area and each substrate with visible mold; an air sample in each indoor "red flag" area; one outdoor air sample; a carpet sample of fixed carpets in "red flag" areas.

Additional sampling suggested as conditions warrant.

Analysis of samples by a specialized laboratory (accredited by AIHA for Environmental Microbiology).

Laboratory Summary Report identifying if any "unusual" mold conditions exist in the sample locations only, at the time they were collected.

Laboratory Report detailing the presence and type (s) of mold, if any, found in the samples.

MOLD INFORMATION

Defining Mold - The presence of mold, water damage, or musty odors should be addressed immediately. In all instances, any source(s) of water must be stopped and the extent of water damage determined. Water damaged materials should be dried and repaired. Environmental sampling is then recommended to determine the type and extent of the existing mold. Mold is a structural, health and environmental problem. Some mold defects can't be seen and will only be detected through sampling.

StachybotrysThis mold is a slow growing fungus. It grows well on high cellulose materials like straw, grass, saw dust, lumber and drywall plaster board or ceiling tiles. Like a fungi, it requires a moisture source. About15 species of Stachybotrys can be found worldwide, but it is most common in the Western U.S. Generally, this mold grows where the relative humidity is above 55 percent or the material is water-saturated. In studies conducted in North America, Stachybotrys was found in 2 to 3 percent of home environments sampled. Disease - Stachybotrys spores are breathed into the lungs. Persons with chronic exposure to the toxin report cold or flu-like symptoms with sore throat, diarrhea, headaches, fatigue, dermatitis, intermittent local hair loss and general malaise. The toxins may also suppress the immune system. Infants may be particularly susceptible to the effects of these inhaled mycotoxins because their lungs are growing very rapidly. Mycotoxins are lipid-soluble and are readily absorbed by the intestinal lining, airways, and skin.

How to Control Stachybotrys - Homes and buildings with water damage should be repaired, the source of moisture eliminated, and all moldy material should be removed. Reduce humidity in the home with adequate venting of appliances such as dryer vents bathroom and kitchen cooking vents, etc. Even "excessively sealed" homes with inadequate air exchange can cause high humidity inside from showers, cooking, laundry, etc. Although some molds can be killed by cleaning the moldy surface with chlorine, Stachybotrys often has a germ, mycelium, that is buried inside the water damaged surface that may be inaccessible to chlorine. It is best to remove all of the water damaged material.

Aspergillus

A group of molds which is found everywhere world-wide, especially in the autumn and winter in the Northern hemisphere. Only a few of these molds can cause illness in humans and animals. Most people are naturally immune and do not develop disease caused by Aspergillus. However, when disease does occur, it takes several forms.

Disease - The type of diseases caused by Aspergillus are varied, ranging from an allergy-type illness to life-threatening generalized infections. Diseases caused by Aspergillus are called aspergillosis. The severity of aspergillosis is determined by various factors but one of the most important is the state of the immune system of the person. Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) - This is a condition which produces an allergy to the spores of the Aspergillus moulds. It is quite common in asthmatics; up to 20% of asthmatics might get this at some time during their lives. Aspergilloma - The type of diseases caused by Aspergillus are varied, ranging from an allergy-type illness to life-threatening generalized infections. Diseases caused by Aspergillus are called aspergillosis. The severity of aspergillosis is determined by various factors but one of the most important is the state of the immune system of the person. Aspergillus Sinusitis - The type of diseases caused by Aspergillus are varied, ranging from an allergy-type illness to life-threatening generalized infections. Diseases caused by Aspergillus are called aspergillosis. The severity of aspergillosis is determined by various factors but one of the most important is the state of the immune system of the person. Invasive Aspergillosis - The type of diseases caused by Aspergillus are varied, ranging from an allergy-type illness to life-threatening generalized infections. Diseases caused by Aspergillus are called aspergillosis. The severity of aspergillosis is determined by various factors but one of the most important is the state of the immune system of the person.

Penicillium

Some Penicillium species are fairly common indoor fungi, even in clean environments. This particular specie of fungi can proliferate in abundance in indoor environments. P. species can be found at the sub-basement levels offices and rooms, in libraries, auditorium, storage roomof paper materials and also in ventilation systems. Some species can produce small, nondescript conidia and complex mixtures of metabolites that are more or less toxic. Like all other molds, spores have the highest concentrations of mycotoxin, although the vegetative portion of the mold, the mycelium, can also contain the poison.

Disease - Exposure to the various penicillium toxin can result in the following ill health effects:

Two major differences between poria and ordinary decay fungi are that ordinary decay fungi require the structure to provide the water (green wood, rain and plumbing leaks, condensation), while poria provides its own water through rhizomorphs connected to moist soil outside the structure, and poria dies quickly when deprived of water, while ordinary decay fungi usually just go dormant. These differences make both the detection and control of poria very different from those of ordinary decay fungi. An inspector who does not accurately diagnose poria infection can make a company responsible for repairing extensive decay, including that already repaired, within less than one year; or, in the extreme, razing and rebuilding the entire structure. This presentation provides illustrations of how to diagnose, evaluate and control poria infections and an opportunity to question two people with experience with this fungus.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is an infectious disease characterized by flu-like symptoms that can progress rapidly to potentially life-threatening breathing problems.

Several types of hantavirus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. They are carried by several types of rodents, particularly the deer mouse. You become infected primarily by breathing air infected with hantaviruses that are shed in rodent urine and droppings.

Because treatment options are limited, the best protection against hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is to avoid rodents and their habitats."